JHS

I have to intervene to laugh at the suggestion that ACORN caused the subprime loan crisis. I am not a big fan of ACORN, but I used to be neighbors and friends with the person at ACORN most responsible for mortgage policy. At the time, one of my clients was a successful subprime lender. I used to argue the theory and practice of subprime lending with the ACORN guy (who was very smart, very dedicated, and a lovely person), and he was about 50 times more conservative about lending than anyone at my client. If ACORN ruled the world, subprime lending would never have existed.

And, hey barrons, do you actually KNOW any community organizers? I do. There are shakedown artists out there, and morons, too, but also plenty of smart, energetic, idealistic people who often do actual good things, and have good reputations. One of the best I know -- an Afro-Cuban-American woman -- is even (gasp!) a REPUBLICAN, who supported Mike Huckabee, and worries that McCain isn't conservative enough. Another revived a troubled neighborhood group, then ran a city department, then was CEO of the local United Way, from which she was recruited to a management position at a huge mutual fund group whose CEO dealt with her at United Way. There are competent people out there who actually figure out how to make things work at the level where it really counts.